1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an IC memory cartridge and a method for providing a plurality of external IC memory cartridges to an electronic device, each of the cartridges having selectable memory addresses and being connectable by means of a pair of connectors.
2. PRIOR ART
Recently, an IC card having a 1-chip microcomputer or a memory card incorporating read only memory (ROM) or random access memory (RAM) is popularly used in various fields as handy information media. For example, a bank card, a credit card, an I.D. card, a telephone card, and a clinical chart, all utilize such a memory card.
The memory card has a relatively large data capacity for its size. Moreover, since no exclusive interface is needed, it features a low price. These advantages enable the memory cards to be widely used in electronic devices responsive to various usages and purposes.
The memory card includes a male (or a female) connector. By connecting the male (female) connector to a female (male) connector of an electronic device, data can be read out or written in the memory card. In the case where large amounts of data stored in a magnetic tape or hard disk as an external memory of a mainframe (CPU) are to be stored in the memory card, or in the case where individual, classified data are each stored in separate memory cards, it is necessary to simultaneously connect a plurality of memory cards to an electronic device. In one configuration, plural memory cards are connected to a number of corresponding connectors on the electronic device. This method, however, presents a problem. Since the address setting for the memory is exclusively fixed, a plurality of memory chips are assigned to the same address region.
In order to solve this problem, it is expected that several kinds of memory cards having different address settings are to be used. In this case, however, other problems arise. First, the memory card loses its general use property and flexibility. Second, the user must seek the memory card whose address has been previously set to meet the user desires. Third, the manufacturing cost is increased since the manufacturer must produce a variety of memory cards and the matter of keeping the memory cards becomes more complicated.